


Back Where I Belong

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Coming Home [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 13:33:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8287523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Robin reflects on his reunion with Regina and the kids.A companion to Coming Home, Piece by Piece.





	

Robin isn’t quite awake yet, but he’s not quite asleep.

He’s only vaguely aware that its morning and that he slept through his first night back—and he before his eyes are even open, he can tell that it’s early because there’s not a sound to be heard and everything is still. Despite what he’d said the day before, despite how he’d assured her again and again that he was really there and wasn’t going anywhere, there’d been a little part of him that had doubted it—a little part of him that feared he’d wake up alone and without her, and everything that had happened the day before was all a part of some wonderfully cruel dream—and when realizes that it wasn’t, he slowly exhales a breath he barely realized he’d been holding.

He smiles a little when he feels her beside him—warm and soft, and tucked beneath his arm with her cheek pressed into his chest. He feels every slow and light breath she takes, her heart beating against his as she sleeps. His smile deepens when  he realizes they’re still holding hands—fingers entwined and palms pressed together—and he rubs his thumb over the back of her wrist, slowly and rhythmically as he cuddles her closer. When his eyes flutter open he can see that there’s the smallest hint of a smile on her lips—and once more he feel his chest swell with the understanding of lucky he is to have yet another chance with her.

 He’s lost count of how many chances they’ve had now—how many times they came so close before something ripped them away from one another, and how many times they’ve found each other once again, in spite of insurmountable odds. He thinks of all the times he’s fallen in love with her, all the times he thought they’d been over, only to find themselves together again and stronger than before. He thinks of the way the smile had stretched across her lips and her eyes had widened as his steps toward her grew faster and faster, and he thinks of the way she’d thrown herself into his arms and how good that first hug felt—and how he swore to himself that he’d never let her go. He can’t help but smile at the thought that this would be the last chance they needed, that this time they were finally going to get it right, that this time fate would be on their side, ad this time everything would work out just as it had always been intended.

And finally, he feels at peace.

The afterlife had been nothing short of breathtaking—it was the sort of utopia hopeful poets wrote about, the promised-land restless souls sought for a lifetime. It held a sort of beauty that couldn’t quite be described—all sunshine and smiles, warmth and comfort—where even the most tortured of souls could find contentment, basking in a joy that wasn’t attainable for them in any other realm. For so many, it was truly their happing ending; and for so many, it didn’t seem to bother them that their stories were left untold, that they’d never know what could have been—or even _should_ have been—and they were easily able to reconcile their alternative ending, not only finding hope and happiness in it, but even considering it a better end. And in some ways, he’d been envious of them.

Because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quite get to that point of contentment. It always seemed so far and so out of reach, unattainable and impossible. It didn’t matter that he chose this—that he made a conscious decision to sacrifice his own life to save the life of someone he loved—and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get to a point of acceptance. For him, there was a hole in his soul, an aching void where Regina and their children had once been, and though everyone told him that initial hurt would dull with time, he didn’t believe them—and he didn’t want to. With every passing moment, that void deepened, making him feel incomplete and restless until he could barely stand it.

But he hadn’t said anything. He knew there were ways to go back, ways to change fate; but it was always at a cost too steep to pay. To undo what he’d done would mean allowing Regina’s life to end and his own to be saved; and that was something he was unwilling to do. He didn’t regret sacrificing himself for her, and given the opportunity, he’d do it again. But he missed her and he missed their children, and he’d reconciled that he’d spend all of eternity mourning the family they were meant to be.

It was Marian who saw it in his eyes—that dull ache and unrest that burned and lingered with every breath he took and every word he spoke—and it had been Marian who suggested that there might be another way. It was hard to look her in the eye, as she explained to him what it meant to share a soul and the unwritten rules that bent fate in his favor—and it had been a bittersweet moment when she’d smiled with kind eyes and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, and asked her to give their son a kiss from her and to let him know that she loved him.

He’d agreed—and it was all set into motion—and the next thing he knew, he was walking on a path in the wood, taking quick step toward Regina as a bright smile stretched across his face and his heart pounded with life.

Closing his eyes, he presses a soft and fleeting kiss into her hair, settling back against the plush pillows. Since that day in her office, he hasn’t allowed himself to think of a future; instead, he’d been wrapped up in the past and what was. And for the first time since that moment, he allows himself to think about the future they’ll have, all moments that are yet to come, and the life they have ahead of themselves…

_____

_His heart leaps at the sight of her—standing there at the end of the path, holding something in her hands. She looks down at it, then back to him as her brow furrows and her eyes widen with disbelief. He calls out her name and watches as she inhales a sharp breath as she takes that first step toward him, until she is practically running—and when she reaches him, her arms are instantly around him. She holds him tightly, her fingers clutching at his jacket as he holds her close, cupping the back of her head, his heart beating wildly in his chest._

_Reluctantly, she steps back with puzzled eyes, shaking her head in absolute disbelief—and he smiles as his hands settle on her elbows, his hands rubbing gently at the woolen fabric of her coat._

_“Regina…” he breathes out as relief washes over him—relief and thousand other emotions._

_“You… you’re here,” she says, blinking back her tears as she stares at him, her fingers clutching his arms as if to ground him in the moment, as if breaking contact might mean that he’d fade away and the illusion would be broken._

_“I am, Love,” he assures her. “I’m here.”_

_“But…”_

_“I’m here,” he says again, leaning in and pressing a rushed kiss to her lips as he drew her into a tight embrace. “I’m here, Love…” He says it again and again, not only to convince her, but to convince himself._

_“Robin, I… I don’t understand how this is possible,” she tells him in a hoarse whisper, smiling despite the uncertainty that rests in her eyes. “How are you here?”_

_“It doesn’t matter how,” he answers, not really sure of how to explain to her something he doesn’t quite understand himself. “All that matter is that I’m here now.”_

_She nods and lets out a shaky breath as she blinks back her tears—and then she leans up onto the tips of her toes, pressing herself in for a kiss. The kiss is soft and sweet, and her hand slides back and forth against his jaw as months of separation pours out into that one hard-earned moment._

_His hand finds her hip, drawing her up against him—and that’s when he feels it. He pulls back as his eyes widened and a smile tugs onto his lips as he looks down between them, noticing the soft bump beneath her sweater._

_She doesn’t say anything, she only nods—and suddenly, he feels a rush of emotion._

_He thinks back to that night in New York, the pained look in her eyes when she told him that he and Zelena were tied together in a way that they never could be. She looked away from him, as understanding settled in his eyes—and she quietly told him about the night her mother had led her to believe she’d found her soul mate. For a few brief hours, she felt the heaviness of her heart lighten as hope seeped in—and then, in one cruel split-second, it was all taken away. She’d been so hurt and so angry—angry for allowing herself to believe that even after everything she’d done, there was someone who could love her, and she’d been angry for allowing herself to be vulnerable and manipulated once again. For her entire life, she’d been a pawn, viewed as a puppet rather than a person; and, she’d lashed out an effort to prove what everyone believed about her, to prove that she was incapable and even undeserving of any sort of love._

_He’d reached out and taken her hand, struggling with how he should respond, but knowing that he had to._

_She’d looked back at him with tentative eyes and quietly admitted that she didn’t blame him for what happened with Zelena. He couldn’t have known and hadn’t been complicit—but still, it hurt knowing that her wicked witch of a sister had given him something that she never could._

_And then, he’d disagreed—she’d given him more than he’d ever hoped to have. A little smile had formed on her lips and it broke his heart to think that she didn’t think she was enough because for him, she was everything…_

_She smiles as she reaches for his hand, pressing it over the soft swell of her stomach, and his breath catches in his throat when he feels the soft flutter of the baby’s kick._

_______

It feels like only a few minutes have passed since his eyes sank closed, but the room suddenly feels warmer and brighter. He can feel Regina stirring groggily beside him, still mostly asleep and cuddled into his side, and grin begins to edge onto his lips. His heart flutters and as he thinks of all the mornings he awoke and a dream of this sort of moment drifted away. He thinks of all the times he could practically feel her, just as she is now, but when his eyes would open, he’d be alone—and his heart would drop as he realized that his happy memory had once again turned into a bittersweet dream.

But this time when his eyes open again, she’s still there—really there beside him—and he’s once again reminded that he’s home—he’s home and she’s there with him, and finally, everything is as it should be.

“Good morning,” she says as she drops a kiss against his chest as she pulls herself up to kiss him properly. She smiles as brushes her lips once over his, rubbing the tip of her nose against his, before lowering herself down and sucking his bottom lip gently between hers. His hand sweeps over her cheek, tangling in her hair his tongue slides against hers. “I’m so glad you’re here,” murmurs as she pulls back, quickly leaning back in to peck his lips. “I thought that… maybe… it was all a dream and that when I woke up… you’d be gone.”

“I told you,” he says as the back of his fingers rub against her cheek, not wanting to let he know that he’d felt the same way, that he’d shared those same fears. “I’m going anywhere.”

“Yeah,” she says with a nod. “I’m glad.” 

“Me too,” he replies, chuckling softly at the understatement. “I’m not sure I could be any happier than I am right now.”

“No?” She asks, her smile deepening as she shifts herself up over him, “Not even a little bit?”

He grins as he gently kneads at her flannel-covered hip. “Well, why don’t put it up for a test?”

He watches as her eyebrow arches and her grin grows coy. There’s a flash of excitement in her eyes and he lets out a shallow breath and she presses a warm, wet kiss to his chest. She looks up at him, her lips still lingering on his skin—and it her grin goes from coy to seductive. Her lips glide slowly down his torso as her fingers tug at the draw strings of his pajama bottoms. He lets out a shallow breath and swallows hard as she lips suck at his skin and her hand slides into the front of his pants.

A soft moan escapes his lips as his breath catches at that first touch—her fingers curling around his shaft sending an electrifying tingle up his spine. For a moment his eyes close as her fingers tighten around him, slowly pushing down and up and back down again. His eye open as he looks at her, watching the way she smiles, enjoying the effect she’s clearly having on him—and he smiles, too, unable to think of much other than how good what she’s doing feels.

For a brief moment, she breaks their contact, releasing him as she hooks her hands into the waistband of his pajamas, tugging them down as he lifts his hips. He watches as she licks her lips, then bends her head to take him into her mouth—and he shudders as her tongue swirls around the tip of his cock. Her lips are warm and velvety as slide down him, taking him fully into her mouth before drawing back up and off, as her tongue slides back down the length. Her hands cup his balls, her kneading gently as she begins to suck the tip with just enough pressure to drive him mad in the best of ways. Her lips slide lower, taking more of him into her mouth just before her lips pull back up, lowering again to take more of him—and once again, a soft moan escapes him.

His fingers tangled in her hair as her head bobs and her lips slide in rhythm with the movement of his hips when she inhales sharply. For a moment, he doesn’t understand—his eyes coming into focus to see a look of panic registering in her face as her entire body tights, and she pulls away. Scrambling off the bed, she practically runs toward the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door as she falls onto her knees in front of the toilet.

It takes him a moment to collect himself, swallowing hard as he pulls his pajamas back up as he listens to her gagging in the next room.

By the time he reaches her, it’s done—and she’s flushing the toilet as she falls back against the cabinet, bringing up her knees as she rubs her hands over her face and groans.

_____

_It’s the sound of Roland’s voice, calling out ‘Daddy’ again and again, that pulls him out of the quiet little moment with Regina. He smiles and tears flood his eyes and Roland sprints forward, and he crouches down, holding out his arms as his boy comes crashing into his arms. He scoops him up, holding him tight in his arms as he swings him around._

_“I missed you, Daddy.”_

_“Oh, Roland,” he breathes out, “I missed you, too.” He hugs his son tightly, cupping the back of his head as he pepper kisses over his cheeks, making him laugh through his tears. “I missed you terribly.”_

_“We thought you died,” Roland said sadly, sniffling and batting the back of his hand over his eyes. “We had a funeral and everything.”_

_“I know,” Robin nodded, not entirely sure what to say. “And I’m sorry for that.”_

_“Where were you?”_

_He took a breath as Roland blinked expectantly—and he’s unsure of what to say, only that he has to say something. He kissed him again, pressing his lips to his forehead and breathing him in, thinking of how much bigger he seems since the last time he held him; and no sooner than the thought occurs to him, he a lump is rising in the back of this throat, as he remembers that he never had the chance to say goodbye._

_The last time he saw his son, they’d been leaving for the Underworld. Emotions ran high, and he’d barely been able to put on a brave smile. Earlier that evening, Roland had sat on the stairs with teary eyes, listening to a tense conversation Regina and Henry were having about Henry’s participation in their upcoming excursion. Robin had been there with her, offering his support, trying to interject reason where he could—but all attempts had fallen on deaf ears and at the end of conversation, Henry had won and would be accompanying them to the Underworld. He tried to tell Regina that at least this way, they could keep an eye on him, and that Henry was a smart boy with a keen eye for detail. He’d be useful to them, despite his youth._

_And it was that speech that had made his goodbye to his own son all the more difficult._

_“But I could help,” Roland had insisted. “I can be smart and brave, too.”_

_“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Robin had told him, looking up at Regina who was watching the exchange with teary eyes. “But we need your bravery here.”_

_“But I want to come, too,” he said, looking between them. “Henry gets to go…”_

_“Well, someone needs to look out for your baby sister,” Robin said. “And who better than her big brother?” Roland considered, once more looking from Robin to Regina and then back again, before offering a small nod in concession. “That’s my boy…”_

_Roland sniffled as Robin drew him into to a tight hug. Regina’s fingers combed gently through the boy’s hair and he looked up at her, silently questioning the choice to leave him. Then, he’d looked back kissed Roland’s forehead, putting on a smile that broke his heart as he promised they’d back soon, and they’d be together again._

_He hadn’t ever dreamed that the promise he made his son that night would be the last one he made to him, and never dreamed that it would be one that he broke. But the day they returned from the Underworld, they’d returned in a whirlwind of chaos. His daughter was in danger, and saving her was all he could think of; and though he missed his son terribly, he knew that the boy was safe._

_And then, he was gone…_

_He presses a warm kiss to Roland’s cheek, and thinks of Marian and the promise he made to her, deciding that will make a proper bedtime story. And then he smiles at thought of tucking his son to bed, telling a story in a soft voice as the little’s boy’s eyes grow heavy with sleep and he falls asleep with a little smile on his face—and once more, he’s grateful for the chance._

_______

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs, turning her head to look at him as he settles beside her against the cabinets. “I’m sure that was… a mood killer.”

“Not at all,” he replies with a little laugh. “Just some toothpaste or mouth wash and we can be right back at it…” Her eyebrow arches and his smile draws wider as he leans in and kissed her forehead. “Or not.”

Taking a breath, he watches as she takes a breath and slowly exhales her, her head dipping forward as her hair falls around her face and she lets out a groan. “Well, it’s not fair that I got you all hot and bothered, then… bolted.” She turns to face him, as a small, lopsided grin etches onto her lips. “So, I am sorry about…” her eyes drop to his lap and she sighs a little. “Well… _that_.”

“That,” he begins with a soft chuckle, glancing quickly from his lap to her, “Isn’t a big deal. It’s… morning after all.” She laughs a little as she leans into him, bumping into his as he stretches his arm around her shoulders “Are you feeling any better?”

“A little,” she murmurs. “It comes in waves.”

“I haven’t had breakfast in… weeks.”

“How long does it last?”

“It’s supposed to last just the morning—I’m not sure why that is but it’s what my doctor tells me—but for me it’s all morning and all afternoon and all evening,” she says as her head rests just below his shoulder. “I’m one of the lucky ones.” He presses a kiss to her hair and she cuddles in, her fingers dragging slowly up and down his chest. “And I really mean that—I am lucky.” He smiles a little as she lifts her head, her own smile tugging onto her lips as he realizes she’s no longer talking about the morning sickness. “I’m so glad you’re going to be here for this.”

“Oh, love,” he breathes out. “So am I.”

It’s at that moment, he realizes he’s barely asked about the baby. At every chance he had, someone else had interjected—Roland with another story about his playground adventures or Henry with his countless questions, or Regina with her understandable disbelief. The questions have lingered on his lips time and time again, every time he saw the soft curve of her abdomen, every time he held her and felt the bump pressing into him and every time his hand moved to her stomach to feel the gentle flutter of their child.

“Regina… _how_?” He shakes his head as a smile tugs onto his lips, and suddenly he feels like a hundred questions are trying to rush out of him at once. “How are you pregnant? I thought…”

“I’ve stopped trying to find an answer to that,” she says with a little laugh. “What I did was supposed to be permanent. I was very intentional about it, but…” She laughs again as she looks down at herself, and he can see a shy grin stretching across her lips. “But… something happened, something changed.” She looks a back at him and shrugs her shoulders. “The only thing that makes sense to me is that I found you. I found love—true love—and maybe that changed something.” 

“Maybe…” He agrees as a smile edges back onto his lips.

“I guess it doesn’t really matter how, though.”

“No,” he agrees. “I suppose not.”

“It happened in Camelot,” she tells him. “That night in the rain…”

“Oh,” he murmurs, smiling at the memory—remember how they’d been walking through the woods when the rain had started and by the time they found shelter in an old, abandoned little shack, they were both soaked through and though. Regina had as she lifted her arm, ringing out the long sleeve of her dress, and he’d suggested they light a fire to warm up and dry their clothes—and then next thing he knew, their clothes were hanging on a line in front of the hearth and they were finding other ways to keep warm “That was a _good_ night.”

“It was…”

“How long have you known?” He asks, realizing how long ago that night was and trying to place it on some sort of timeline. “That was…”

His voice trails off as she grimaces, scrunching up her nose as she looks at him. “I found out the day that Lizzie was born. I spent… hours that morning trying to figure out the how… and then we got the call about Zelena and then…” She sighs looking at him a bit regretfully. “And then, everything else happened.”

“The day that…” His voice halts and he blinks at her, somewhat taken aback and trying to understand. He hadn’t expected that she had the opportunity to tell him—that she’d had several opportunities— and he’d expected her to say that she found out just after his death or maybe even just before it. He blinks as he looks away from her, and he can’t help but feel a little hurt that she’d chosen not to share it with him. “Why didn’t you tell me!?”

She lets out a little sigh, as her hand settles on his arm, nearly willing him to look back at her. “I… I didn’t believe it at first, and then… things were so chaotic with Zelena and Emma, and then Hook died and we were all going to the Underworld and… then Lizzie was in danger and you were going away to protect her and then were fighting and…” Her voice trails off, and finally, he looks back at her. “I wanted to, but I wanted that moment to be… special. I wanted it to be more than just a passing comment or something that came up in an argument. I wanted…” Her voice catches in her throat and he can see her tears glistening in her eyes. “I _wanted_ to tell you… but I… I thought we had time.”

He softens as her chin begins to tremble and then his arm is sliding around her shoulders as she pulls her into a tight embrace as he thinks about how difficult those weeks after returning from Camelot were and he can’t fault her for what she didn’t know—and he knows it’s all a moot point now. “Oh, love,” he breathes out as he rests his head atop hers a grin returns to his lips. “We _do_ have time. We have all the time in the world.”

_____

_“You know, there’s someone else who missed you,” Regina says, as Robin looks up, watching as she pulls a red-haired and blue-eyed little girl from Henry’s arms. His breath caught at the back of his throat as he set Roland down and hugged him to the back of his legs, as the little girl clapped his hands together, giggling as Regina kissed her chubby hands, and her dimples sank into her cheeks._

_“Oh,” he’d breathed out, suddenly transfixed by the tiny girl in a pink and white jumper. She’s wearing a headband with a big white daisy on it, sucking on her fist as Regina bounces her gently—and she looks so comfortably content. “I’m so glad that she’s with you. I… I wondered…”_

_And he had wondered. Every day that he was away, he wondered about the precious little girl who’s stolen his heart. He knew there was a strong possibility that she was with Zelena—after all, it would make sense that the child would go to her other parent. However, the thought of Zelena being the girl’s primary parent made him vaguely nauseous and worried about her safety and well-being. He didn’t doubt that Zelena loved the little girl, but he did doubt her ability to be a parent to her—to know how to soothe her, to teach her right from wrong, to keep her safe and secure. To him, from the moment he learned the truth of his daughter’s conception, he always envisioned himself raising this girl with Regina—raising her as theirs, not just his._

_A smile tugs onto his lips as he watches Regina press a kiss to the little girl’s cheek, as her eyes shift back to him._

_“Robin,” Regina said slowly as grin pulled onto her lips. “This is… well, Robyn,” she says with a slight chuckle behind her shaky voice. “But we like to call her Lizzie—short for…”_

_“Elizabeth,” he murmurs, his voice cracking as he remembers how he’d tried out each name on the list he’d painstakingly made, trying to find the one that fit her best. He’d settled on Elizabeth—in part because he simply liked the classic name, and in part because it’s meant ‘a scared oath,’ reminding of the code he lived by, the code that had made him a better man._

_Regina transfers the baby girl into his arms, and the first thing he notices his how much heavier she is, and how much she’s grown. The last time he held her, she could be easily nestled into the crook of his arm; and now, she sat up against his forearm, reaching out her chubby little fingers and giggling as they touched on the stubble on his cheek._

_“Well, hello, Lizzie,” he cooed, laughing as her blue eyes met his and a little spit bubble formed on her lips. “Do you remember me?” he asks, his voice cracking a little as he does, “Because I remember you.” Tears fill his eyes as he pulls her closer and a lump rises in throat as he press a kiss to her forehead. He never thought he’d have the chance to hold her again, never have the chance to watch her grow up, and he never thought he’d have the chance to tell her how much he loves her and what a precious gift she truly was to him. “Oh, Peanut,” he murmurs as he cradles her against his chest, rocking her gently back and forth, breathing her in and wanting to memorize every little detail of this moment. “Daddy missed you.”_

_______

Regina’s fingers fold around his as they walk down the stairs, and he’s happy to let her lead.

It’s well-past eight-thirty, and the sound a video game gets louder and louder as they near the living room, where they find the boys sprawled out on the couch. There’s an open box of Frosted Flakes beside Roland, whose eyes are wide as he guides one of the Mario Brothers through a maze, and Henry’s stretched out on the couch with his knees drawn up. Lizzie is propped against them, her little laugh exploding in little spurts as Henry makes faces at her.

“’Morning,” Henry murmurs, barely looking over as Robin and Regina join them in the living room.

“You guys slept late,” Roland says, biting his bottom lip as he averts the last obstacle

“Yeah, well… yesterday was kind of exhausting for all of us,” Regina says, giving his hand a tight little squeeze. “I’m kind of surprise to see you guys up so early…”

“Well, Lizzie woke up early,” Henry says, finally looking over at them. “So, I got up with her so you guys could sleep in.”

“That was thoughtful…”

“And I figured,” he continues, “If I had to be up before the sun, Roland should be, too.”

“Henry let me put frosting on my bagel!” Roland exclaims, still not looking up from his game, and Robin chuckles as Regina’s eyes widen in Henry’s direction and offers her a sheepish grin and shrugs his shoulders.

Before either Henry or Regina can say anymore, Lizzie yells out and claps her hands together, trying to regain her big brother’s attention. Robin watches as Henry turns back to her, offering her a goofy smile that once more has her giggling as a little bubble of spit forms on her lip and his heart flutters as Henry reaches out to pop it and Lizzie’s grow wide with wonder. Regina sighs and gives his hand a little squeeze as she murmurs something about making tea, and tugs him along with her as they make their way to the kitchen.

And it feels so normal.

He smiles as he watches her reach of the tea, and instinctively he fills the kettle with water and turns on the stove. They fall into a once so familiar pattern as they move around the kitchen, not missing a beat as they make two cups of herbal tea. When the two different blends of tea are steeping in their mugs, he watches as Regina breathes in the mix of spice and lavender, smiling a little as her eyes close. He feels a smile tug onto his lips as he comes up behind her, sliding his hand across the swell of her stomach and rubbing his hand gently over top of her pajamas. He can practically feel her smile as she leans back into his and sighs a little, and he brushes a feathery kiss along the nape of her neck, drawing her nearer and enjoying the closeness.

But before they can lose themselves in the moment, footsteps bring them back into the present; and a moment later, the kids are in the kitchen. Roland climbs up onto one of the stools at the counter and Henry sets Lizzie onto the countertop, leaning his elbows beside her and holding her in place.

“Um, we were wondering if maybe we could go to Granny’s? For like…a late breakfast or maybe an early lunch,” Henry begins. “As it turns out, bagels and frosting aren’t…very filling.”

“I believe the word you’re looking for us brunch,” Regina replies with a smirk.

“Really?” Roland asks, perking up and grinning. “I’ve been thinking about chili-cheese fries since I got up!”

Robin laughs and Regina’s nose scrunches and she sighs a little. “It must be the pregnancy talking, but that doesn’t sound terrible.” She laughs a little and looks back at him, then turns back to the boys. “Yeah, I think we could arrange that.”

“It sounds like a plan then,” Robin agrees, hugging her back against him, watching as the boys exchange smiles—and once more, he’s overwhelmed with a sense of normalcy.

_____

_Everything after the park feel completely overwhelming—from Roland’s constant chatter to Henry’s questions, to Regina’s disbelieving yet relieved smile and Lizzie’s little laugh—but it’s overwhelming in the best possible way._

_And as overwhelming as it is, there’s also a sense of normalcy that fills him with such contentment. They order pizza for dinner and they eat it in the living room on paper plates—Henry and Roland sit on the floor, excitedly chattering away about everything that’s happened over the past few months as Lizzie cuddles against his chest beneath a fuzzy yellow blanket. Every now and then, he catches Regina’s gaze—watching the way that she watches him, looking at him as if she blinks he’ll vanish into thin air. He reaches for her as Roland launches into a story about a new box of crayons, and he’s sure to nod and smile at all the right parts, as he pulls Regina closer. She cuddles into his side and draws up her feet, and he watches as her hand rubs absently over the gentle curve of her stomach as Roland continues his story. And in that moment—everything feels so right._

_He feels a little pang of sadness as Roland’s eyes grow tired and Regina leans forward to press a kiss atop his messy curls, telling him that it’s time for bed. Henry offers to clean up, as Regina reaches for his hand as her other hand forms around Roland’s, and they begin the once so familiar bed-time routine._

_He helps Roland change into his pajamas, and Roland continues to ask question. He smiles happily as Robin honors his promise to Marian, telling their son that she loves and misses him, and that she’ll see him again one day; and then, he asks if there’s something he’d like to read—another distant, yet familiar routine he hadn’t even realized he missed. Roland selects_ Where the Wild Things Are _—a favorite story that he discovered on Henry’s bookshelf the night after they’d officially moved into Regina’s house, a book that Henry had given him to keep on his own shelf as the first of what would quickly prove to be many additions—but by the time Robin turns back to him, ready to climb into the small bed and read the story, Roland’s eyes are pressed shut and he’s snoring softly. And once more, he feels a pang of sadness at the loss of one more bedtime story; and then a smile tugs onto his lips as he remembers that they’ll let to do it all again the following night._

_Dropping a quick kiss onto Roland’s forehead, he wishes him a goodnight before turning off the light and flicking on his nightlight. He lingers in the doorway for just a moment, thinking back to that uncertain night they’d all returned from Camelot. Everyone had been on edge—panicked and unsure—and tension around town had been palpable. But when they four of them got back to the house, Henry announced he wanted to take a shower and Regina had taken Roland by the hand and led him up to his new room. Robin had lingered in the doorway, just as he’s doing now, watching as Regina magically transformed the empty room into his son’s perfect sanctuary. He remembers the way Roland’s eyes had widened in absolute awe as Regina waved her hand and in seconds a little reading nook appeared in one corner. And despite all of the chaos and tension, that night Roland’s world felt more secure than it had in months—and he’d been so grateful to Regina for giving that to him. He takes a breath, bringing himself back into the present moment, watching as Roland sleeps and his heart feels heavy and smile edges onto his lips, once more remember that tomorrow will be another day._

_Turning down the hall, he stops at the room that’s now Lizzie’s nursery and peeks in. His breath catches as his eyes settle on Regina, holding Lizzie and murmuring something to her in sing-song voice as she gently bounces her—and for just a second, he’s rooted in place, absolutely captivated by the feeling that swells in his chest. There’s a sense of relief that washes over him, realizing the bond Regina and Lizzie share—one that extends beyond him and far beyond Zelena—and as he watches them, he finds that it’s hard to remember the trepidation Regina had felt, the fear she’d had about what this little girl would mean for them._

_“Unfortunately,” Regina begins in a quiet voice as she looks up at Robin. “Lizzie has inherited the Mills family gene for sleep aversion.” She shakes her head and looks back at Lizzie, and smile nonetheless. “Even all the excitement of the day didn’t wear her out completely. Just as I was putting her down, she decided it was time to wake up.”_

_“Well, she got a double-dose,” he chuckles as he pushes himself into the room. “Roland was the same way as a baby.”He sits on the arm of the chair, one arm sliding around Regina’s shoulders, as his other hand tickling the bottom of Lizzie’s foot. She grins up at him and kicks her feet as a little bubble of spit forms on her lips—and Regina laughs the first real laugh he’s heard all day. “But look at him now…”_

_“He could sleep through just about anything…”_

_Robin laughs a little and leans in to press a kiss to temple. “Hopefully, she figures it out before the next one arrives.”_

_“Oh, god…” Regina replies, groaning a little as she looks up at him. “I hope so.”_

_He starts to reply, but there’s a soft knock on the frame of the door and they both look up to see Henry hovering in the doorway. He’s standing there, smiling softly as he holds a book against his chest._

_“Sorry to interrupt,” Henry says, stepping into the nursery, shuffling somewhat awkwardly as he approaches them. “But I was about to go to bed and before I do, I… I thought… you might like to see this. It’s something I’ve been working on...” Robin blinks as his eyebrows arch with the realization that Henry is talking specifically to him, and he smiles as Henry hands him the leather bound book he’d been holding. “After we got back, I, uh… started writing stories to, um… practice or whatever.” A smile starts to edge onto his lips as Henry continues, fidgeting nervously with his hands. “Most of them are about Roland and Lizzie, but some are about mom and me. I wrote at least one every day since… since we came back. They’re not very interesting, it’s mostly just little things that happened while you were away—like this one day mom took us to Granny’s for dinner, and Roland shook a bottle of ketchup so hard that it went flying everywhere, and got all over mom…”_

_Robin laughs a little as his chest swells with a feeling of gratitude, and once more he feels overwhelmed by it. “Henry this is…” He looks up, watching as Henry grins. “This is… incredible. I can’t even begin to tell you what this means to me…”_

_“They’re not very good…”_

_“I don’t believe that for a second,” Robin cuts in. “You’ve always been a talented writer.”_

_Henry shrugs his shoulders. “I, um, drew some pictures, too…”_

_Robin looks back to the book, slowly opening the heavy volume to a random page and releasing a shaky breath at a picture of Roland sitting cross-armed at the dining room table with a plate of broccoli in front of him, pouting up at Regina, and on the page beside it a story entitled “The Great Vegetable Wars, Part 3.”  And suddenly, there are tears welling in his eyes. His heart aches at the thought of everything he missed—not just the big moments, but for the little ones and the ones that would likely never have been mentioned had it not been for Henry’s storybook.  He blinks the tears back as he feels Regina’s hand on his arm, and looks back at Henry—at Regina’s kind-hearted and thoughtful boy—who likely doesn’t even realize how precious a  gift he’s given—how precious of a gift he’s been to him._

_“Well, I’m going to go to bed,” Henry murmurs, shifting a bit awkwardly as he moves in to kiss Regina’s cheek and then drops a quick kiss atop Lizzie’s head. Robin pats his shoulder before stretching an arm around his shoulder and hugging him into his side—chuckling at the realization that they’re nearly the same height—as he murmurs his thanks. Henry hugs him back, and they exchange quick smiles as Henry starts for the door, looking back in and offering them all a wistful smile. “I’m glad you’re back,” he says as his smile deepens. “I missed you.”_

_“I missed you, too, Henry,” Robin tells him with a sincere nod, as a lump rising in the back of his throat as a sort of contentment settles at his core. For months he’s been so restless, so worried and so consumed with mourning for the life he’d lost, and in that moment, he finally feels completely at ease—and the exhaustion begins to set in. And it’s only then that he realizes how truly difficult it had been to rest with only half a soul._


End file.
